On various anatomical areas of the human ear, there have been identified various points, known as acupuncture points, which are stimulated in auriculotherapy. In treatment procedures, these points are stimulated by inserting an ear piece into the human outer ear, which ear piece has a surface which confronts certain selected acupuncture points of selected anatomical areas. The ear piece has raised portions or bumps on the ear piece surface confronting the ear at locations corresponding to selected acupuncture points or magnets placed at certain locations to correspond to selected acupuncture ear points.
Ordinarily, treatment is conducted with respect to the anatomical areas below the inferior crus, namely, the superior and inferior concha areas as well as the concha ridge. Such treatment has not been applied in the upper zone of the ear, known as the triangular fossa, although it is known that there are points in that area which are also acupuncture points.
One of the problems of conventional ear pieces is that users often experience trouble because the ear pieces are not maintained securely within the ear structure. An object of this invention is to provide an ear piece designed and configured to dwell in the human ear and to be retained therein by a companionate co-action of the configuration of an ear piece with the human ear structure.
The ear piece, accordingly, includes a) a first portion which overlays the triangular fossa area, b) a second portion that overlays the inferior and superior concha areas, and c) a third portion that embraces the inferior crus. The first portion extends into the internal helix beneath the helix root. The second portion has a groove sized to overlay and embrace the inferior crus. The third portion extends into the ear canal. These three portions, in combination with the ear structure, co-act and serve as a holding means for the ear piece when in use.
In the past, a pattern in relief of bumps on the surface of the ear piece had been provided to selectively confront selected acupuncture points on the surfaces of an ear. It has been known to provide an ear piece which has a surface which has bumps in a pattern which overlays the superior and inferior concha and the concha ridge. It is intended that the pattern corresponds to selected acupuncture points. These ear pieces have been of rigid plastic material. In use, some patients have found this type of ear piece to be painful in use over a period of time. Hence, such device have not been used effectively by certain patients. This invention has as one of its objects the provision of an ear piece of rubbery material so as to be comfortable and susceptible to long term and effective use and which is sized and configured as set forth above to be retained by co-action with the ear structure. Another object is an ear piece configured as described above and generally herein which is of rigid material with a pre-selected pattern of bumps to confront the ear surface. The bumps may be embossed portions of the rigid material or a pre-selected pattern of magnet surfaces which protrude from the surface of the ear piece, like crowns, and confront selected acupuncture points.
In the past, the pattern in relief of bumps, which corresponds to the acupuncture points, have been raised portions. This invention also contemplates a plurality of debossed recesses defining a pattern which corresponds to selected acupuncture points within an ear, and in each of which recesses there is a small, preferably cylindrical magnet. This has been found to be effective in auriculotherapy. In a preferred embodiment, the outside surface of the magnet or crowns extends slightly above the surface of the ear piece which in addition to magnetic action also provides bumps to engage the ear surface at the selected points.